Something that cannot be run from, cannot be disobeyed, that doesn’t exist

Sometimes characters’ internal monologue appears in the narrative text intermittently without any punctuation as indication. I didn’t really understand what the author’s trying to do with it or why it’s separate from the internal monologue in these『』brackets, and they were very rare, short and often written somewhat-third-person-like without pronouns. I thought having the occasional short first-person sentence in the narrative would be awkward, so I just ended up rewriting them to third person. It didn’t change the meaning or affect the story or reading experience significantly up until now.

But there is a LOT of internal monologue in the next couple of chapters. In these chapters, the method I’ve been using up until now would definitely drastically alter the reading experience. As such, I’m not using this method from now on. I will now italicize internal monologue that appears in the narrative, while removing the『』brackets for the internal monologue that is contained in these brackets. Keep in mind that these『』brackets are actually used for dialogue some characters such as Zran, Borkus, the Living Armor sisters and Darcia.

I decided on this after having finished this chapter and most of the next chapter so I needed to do a lot of rewriting. I hope you guys appreciate the change! Let me know what you think.

Yoshi

Tarea was walking back home from the bathhouse, wearing a fur coat to keep out the cold of the winter’s night.

「Fuuh… It has become cold as of late, hasn’t it.」(Tarea)

Despite being known as the capital of the sun, Talosheim’s winter was colder than the Devil’s Nest forest that she had lived in previously. It wasn’t that Tarea had become weaker against cold temperatures over the past few years.

Nevertheless, as Tarea watched the Ghouls and Undead entertaining themselves and eating food, it occurred to her just how affluent Talosheim had become.

Many would object to Tarea’s opinion. In fact, the Ghouls’ lives might not seem affluent at a glance.

Very few of the clothes they wore were made of cloth; the majority of them were made from tanned leather and fur that had been stripped from monsters, making them look like a tribe of savages. Because the economic environment consisted of primitive bartering, there were no stores of any kind.

There were no resplendent theaters, bookstores selling tomes containing knowledge, restaurants offering delicious foods or anything of the sort.

But the various things that Vandalieu had created surpassed these.

Though board games were considered as entertainment for the wealthy in human cities, Vandalieu had created the simple yet interesting Reversi and distributed it freely.

He had created numerous seasonings that were even more valuable than the Reversi boards.

The walnut sauce and acorn cookies that he had been making since when he had lived in the Devil’s Nest forest weren’t anything unusual other than the fact that he was making them in a Devil’s Nest.

However, the fish sauce and miso that he had created… no, invented after arriving in Talosheim, were astonishing. In addition, he had turned ginger that had only been used as medicine and an unknown plant called wasabi into additional seasonings.

He had created these and then distributed it in significant amounts. Those who wanted more could trade for them at the remains of the Adventurers’ Guild.

Vandalieu himself wasn’t aware of how astounding these feats were. Even Tarea wasn’t confident that she understood just how incredible it was.

However, in human cities, adding seasoning to food had been a luxury that only the wealthy could afford.

Poor commoners would use salt sparingly at most; they almost never tasted sugar. It seemed that things had improved in recent times, but two hundred years ago, when Tarea had been a human, that was how things were in the city she lived in.

But these seasonings were being offered at exchange rates that anyone could afford.

There was no doubt that miso and fish sauce would sell for soaring prices if sold in human cities. Recently, Vandalieu had even started to make kombu dashi and katsuobushi, though the latter was still incomplete.

Of course, the fact that he had solved the fertility problem that affected the entire Ghoul race couldn’t be forgotten.

Personally, Tarea was most happy about the fact that he had repaired every public bathhouse in Talosheim. For commoners, being able to submerge their bodies in hot water up to their shoulders while bathing was as much of a luxury as seasoning their food.

「As long as Van-sama is here, the Ghouls will prosper for a thousand years!」(Tarea)

Vandalieu had performed deeds that made her believe this with confidence.

But that was also why she was feeling anxious.

「How should I close the distance between myself and the great Van-sama?」(Tarea)

Tarea was not a combatant, but an arms smith who created equipment using monster materials. When Vandalieu spent time clearing Dungeons and training himself in unarmed fighting, the amount of time that she could spend with him inevitably decreased.

Vandalieu’s body was small so the only armor he could wear was clothes made of leather or fur, and he was using his own claws as weapons, so Tarea didn’t even have any opportunities to create equipment for him.

He had said that he would refrain from venturing far from Talosheim until Pauvina had developed to a certain extent and Basdia had safely reached the three-month-mark in her pregnancy, but he would be going into another Dungeon before spring.

「I feel the distance, the distance between myself and Van-sama.」(Tarea)

Even while Tarea remained in the city, Basdia and the others were spending significant periods of time with him, fighting for their lives together. Kachia, a Ghoul who had formerly been an adventurer, had recently shown strange movements as well. And it seemed that Zadiris would be accompanying Vandalieu on his next journey into a Dungeon.

How unfortunate. What an unfortunate turn of events this was.

「If I had daughters, everything would be fine, but I have only had sons up until now… Would it be better for me to start having a daughter now? I am only just over two hundred and sixty years old, so it might be… Ah, it is impossible; I cannot give birth to another man’s child in front of Van-sama!」(Tarea)

Vandalieu was currently acting as something like a maternity doctor. Because of that, if Tarea were to attempt to get closer to him by having a daughter, she would surely be found out.

That would be an unbearable shame. She had no idea how Basdia had been able to do such a thing.

When she had asked Basdia herself, Basdia had replied with a straight face,「It’s not like I’m letting him see me during the act, so it isn’t something to be concerned about, is it?」

Perhaps this was one of the differences between a natural-born Ghoul and a Ghoul who had once been a human.

「So should I do it personally after all? But it would be meaningless if it causes Van-sama to withdraw from me… Ah?」(Tarea)

Just as Tarea passed by an alleyway between two buildings, a pebble rolled in front of her feet with a small noise. And as she turned her face towards the alleyway, there was a woman there.

Ghouls could see even in this darkness where the only light was coming from the moon, so she could clearly make out that woman’s crimson pupils.

「Could you tell me more about this Van-sama?」(Eleanora)

A woman with crimson eyes, red hair and white skin. This appearance was enough to tell Tarea with a single glance that this person didn’t belong in Talosheim, but the emotions that Tarea felt right now were not caution or fear, but affection.

「Of course…」(Tarea)

「Thank you. Let’s talk over here, shall we?」(Eleanora)

With a drowsy look on her face, Tarea was led into the alleyway by this woman… by Eleanora.

Among the Ghouls walking along the streets, Eleanora had chosen the Ghoul woman who had been speaking the name「Van-sama.」She hadn’t appeared to be particularly strong and the fact that she was adding「sama」to the end of his name indicated that she was referring to the Dhampir. Both of these guesses turned out to be correct.

She had been successfully lured and captured by the effects of Eleanora’s charming gaze without showing any signs of resistance.

And Eleanora was able to learn information about the Dhampir from her.

「Van-sama is inside the castle. He is in a room that was originally used by a cabinet minister or general or someone of that sort. He should be sleeping in there.」(Tarea)

Now we’ve learned the Dhampir’s whereabouts. He lives in the royal castle, but he isn’t using the king’s room. Is this because there is indeed some superior being that commands the Undead?

「I see. So is there someone with the divine protection of the goddess Vida in this city?」(Eleanora)

「Divine protection…?」(Tarea)

Tarea gave a puzzled look in response to Eleanora’s question. Under the effects of the charming gaze, she treated Eleanora as if the two of them were close family members, but she was unable to answer what she didn’t know.

But this was a question from someone「close」to her. Her mind worked in order to answer the question as much as she could.

「I am sure that would be Van-sama.」(Tarea)

That was why it was only natural for her to give this response. As Tarea had ceased to be a human over two hundred years ago during her teenage years, she was unaware that Undead could not be tamed. For her, it was only natural that Vandalieu was able to tame the Undead. He had Undead among his companions ever since she met him, so she had no reason to inquire further about it.

And when she remembered that Nuaza and the other Undead Titans showed respect towards him by referring to him as the Prophesized Holy Son, it seemed even more obvious to her that Eleanora was asking about him.

「Wha – ?! That Dhampir is…?!」(Eleanora)

This statement made a huge impact among Eleanora and the other Vampires.

The Dhampir that they were trying to dispose of already possessed the divine protection of the goddess Vida. In that case, not only the Ghouls, but every single Undead Titan in Talosheim were the Dhampir’s pawns.

「Not good… This is not good. We must dispose of him at all costs…」(Sercrent)

One of the only things that the Vampires who worshipped the evil gods feared, a Dhampir building up an organization, had already come to pass.

With the countless Undead added to the Ghouls, their numbers would easily exceed a thousand.

Such great numbers were located in a sturdy fortress city. Their defense was still full of holes, but a defensive net that even Vampires could not easily sneak through would be complete once the number of undead under the Dhampir’s control increased.

If Birkyne learned of this, Sercrent would not be able to avoid harsh punishment even if he completed his mission as he was the one who had given the Dhampir enough time to build such an organization in this location.

This was a huge failure that even Gubamon, who was normally indifferent to the activities of his subordinates, might simply purge Sercrent immediately.

So Eleanora could understand why Sercrent was making noise, but she silenced him with her hand.

「Now that you mention it… My eyelids have grown rather heavy. Well then, excuse me…」(Tarea)

Tarea gave a yawn as she lay down and quickly fell asleep in this vacant stone house.

And then a Subordinate Vampire drew his sword and swung it down at the defenseless Tarea.

「Gugyah?! E-Eleanora-sama, what are you –?!」(Subordinate)

But before his blade reached Tarea’s body, Eleanora broke his arm with her slender hand.

「What is the meaning of this, you bastard?! This Ghoul has already served her purpose; what is wrong with disposing of her?!」(Sercrent)

「Of course it’s wrong to do so, Sercrent. What have you been listening to all this time?」(Eleanora)

「If this is about her spirit, we simply need to pour holy water on her after we kill her!」(Sercrent)

As Sercrent expressed his rage, Eleanora put a hand to her forehead and let out a sigh. She could no longer become ill or feel physically weak now that she was a Vampire, but talking to him gave her endless headaches.

「You know, this is different from when your subordinates were the ones dying. The Ghoul adores the Dhampir. If she dies, she will happily rush off to the Dhampir. If we pour holy water on her and purify her spirit before that happens, we can prevent her from telling the Dhampir about us. But that Dhampir can tame the Undead. How can you be so sure that another spirit will not inhabit her body to turn it into an Undead? There are hundreds of Undead here… Possibly even more than a thousand.」(Eleanora)

Even if they poured holy water on the Ghoul’s corpse to purify her spirit, there was no guarantee that the corpse wouldn’t become an Undead. Unless they held a memorial service or destroyed the body thoroughly, the body could be taken over by other spirits and become an Undead.

It is easy for dead bodies to become Undead when there are other Undead nearby.

「That is true, but there would be no problem even if it were to become an Undead. It would be a Living Dead at most; what is a puppet that cannot even speak capable of doing?」(Sercrent)

If the spirit inhabiting Tarea’s body is not Tarea’s, it would not be able to warn anyone about Eleanora and Sercrent’s presence. However, Eleanora already knew this.

「What do you think will happen if this Living Dead were to be discovered by the other Ghouls and Undead? As far as I can tell, even the Goblins seem to be able to speak and seem quite intelligent.」(Eleanora)

They had learned through the questions they had asked that Tarea was a Ghoul with a prominent position in this community. It would cause a large commotion if such an individual was seen wandering around as an Undead.

They might be able to use the confusion caused by this to find an opportunity to kill the Dhampir. However, it was questionable as to whether they would be to escape the city alive afterwards.

Of course, there was also the option of burning the body so that it could not become an Undead and then pouring holy water, on it, but there was another reason that this was out of the question.

Neither Sercrent nor Eleanora knew of a technique that could silently burn a body without producing any smoke. Being discovered through the smoke produced by burning the body would defeat the purpose of burning the body in the first place.

As for the holy water, they simply didn’t have much left. Either way, by the time this Ghoul woman woke up, they would already have escaped. With that being the case, they needed to save it in case they needed it after killing the Vampire and escaping.

「… Tch, hurry and fix your arm.」(Sercrent)

As if he had finally realized this, Sercrent clicked his tongue and spat these words towards the Vampire who was groaning and clutching his broken arm.

I was considerate enough to break your arm instead of your sword which would have been irreparable, so you could at least thank me. But I’ll stay silent for now. I can’t expect anything from you anyway.

「We’re leaving.」(Eleanora)

Leaving behind the peacefully-sleeping Tarea, Eleanora and her party headed towards the royal castle in which their target resided. They were certain that by the time Tarea woke up, everything would be over and they would have already made their escape.

Getting into the royal castle was a simple task. There had been nobody acting as guards.

Was the Dhampir that confident in his own ability, or did he simply have no sense of caution?

「How are we going to dispose of him?」(Sercrent)

「If we make any noise, we will be noticed by the Undead outside. And now that we have come this far, we need to confirm whether the【Sword King】Borkus’s remains are here. I will use my Demon Eyes to charm him, and lead him here, and you will decapitate him.」(Eleanora)

Eleanora needed to maintain eye contact with her target while using her Charming Demon Eyes. If eye contact was broken for a moment, their effects would be undone. To guarantee success, it was best to have someone else deal the finishing blow.

And Sercrent’s parent, Gubamon, had a habit of gathering the corpses of those known as heroes, raising them as Undead and adding them to his collection.

Even during the war in which Talosheim was destroyed two hundred years ago, numerous corpses of heroes had been gathered. However, the Vampire assigned with the task of retrieving the【Sword King】Borkus’s corpse had unfortunately encountered the【Divine Spear of Ice】Mikhail, so he had failed.

Eleanora didn’t really have any reason to help Gubamon with his hobby, but he was not someone that she wanted to put in an ill mood. She at least needed to put some thought into the task.

「I think there is a high possibility that he has already turned into an Undead, though.」(Eleanora)

「I agree. But we still must confirm that. Even though he was defeated by Mikhail, he is still an Undead hero. He should still be of a considerably high Rank even after becoming an Undead. With that being the case, he shouldn’t be serving as the subordinate of a mere Dhampir, but the Dhampir may know where he is.」(Sercrent)

「I know; I will ask the Dhampir while I’m luring him out.」(Eleanora)

If Sercrent was able to obtain even a fragment of one of Borkus’s bones, he may be able to avoid being purged by Gubamon. Perhaps as if holding onto that hope, Sercrent’s eyes had the dangerous glint of someone who had been driven into a corner.

If I grow desperate, I might be joining him. It’s best to cooperate with him.

Eleanora slipped through the completely unguarded door silently and entered the room.

「?!」(Eleanora)

And in the next moment, her eyes met the Dhampir’s.

She opened her eyes wide in surprise, but now that she thought about it, this was convenient. She had activated her「Charming Demon Eyes」before entering the room just in case, so the Dhampir had been put under its effects immediately.

As proof, his own will had faded away from his eyes and become like those of a dead fish.

「You are Vandalieu, aren’t you?」(Eleanora)

「Yes, I am Vandalieu.」(Vandalieu)

He answered honestly to her question. He had white hair and odd-colored eyes that were a manifestation of his mixed lineage. And his name, too. There was no mistake that this child was the Dhampir the Vampires had been targeting.

However, Eleanora felt like something was out of place. She wondered whether this Dhampir was really under the effects of her「Charming Demon Eyes.」

Those under the effects of her「Charming Demon Eyes」normally loosened their face muscles as if drunk, and their tone of speech became relaxed.

However, this Dhampir’s face was completely expressionless and his tone was normal.

And she could feel some kind of strange power in his eyes that were supposed to be hollow and vacant. Looking into them made her feel a chill, as if she were peeking into the depths of some abyss, and yet she experienced some kind of mysterious feeling.

Could it be that my Demon Eyes have been resisted? That should be impossible without a high level in the Mental Resistance skill. Even with the Dhampir’s【Status Effect Resistance】and the【Magic Resistance】skill of a Dark Elf… The【Mental Corruption】skill is a possibility as well, but if he had that, it’s strange that he hasn’t become some kind of madman who can’t even hold a conversation. He doesn’t appear to be insane. But I suppose it’s best to be sure.

Eleanora had absolute confidence in her own Demon Eyes, but this Dhampir was someone who possessed the goddess Vida’s divine protection. He was an opponent that warranted caution.

「Hey, what do you think about me?」(Eleanora)

「Huh… I think that you’re a beautiful person.」(Vandalieu)

「I see, that makes me happy. Will you be my friend?」(Eleanora)

「… If you’re fine with me being your friend, it would be my pleasure…?」(Vandalieu)

「Well then, would you praise the evil god Hihiryushukaka that we worship? Say that he is a wonderful god.」(Eleanora)

「Sure…」(Vandalieu)

As Eleanora requested, the Dhampir pressed his hands together in prayer and said,「The evil god Hihiryushukaka is a wonderful god.」

And then he looked at Eleanora in silence.

It seems that I was worrying needlessly, thought Eleanora.

If the Dhampir was conscious, he would have immediately realized that I’m a Vampire and been on guard. And there is no way that someone with the divine protection of Vida would praise an evil god in a normal state.

The Dhampir would definitely not have complied with my last request if not for the effect of the Demon Eyes. This Dhampir is still an infant, but according to the information we have, he’s supposedly intelligent and is referred to by his subordinates as “King” and “Holy Son”. He should be a proud individual.

Eleanora had initially thought that he looked ominous, but now she smiled, thinking that he was rather adorable. Now all she needed to do was question him and then bring him to where Sercrent and the others were waiting.

「You have tamed the Undead, haven’t you? How did you do it? When did you receive the goddess’s divine protection?」(Eleanora)

「That’s right, but even if you ask me how I did it… Well, in any case, I’m able to tame them. As for the divine protection… Are you talking about the prophecy?」(Vandalieu)

What a surprise. Not only has he received the goddess’s divine protection, but her prophecy as well. There’s no doubt that the goddess had taken notice of him and is watching over him even now.

Wouldn’t it be dangerous to dispose of him? This thought occurred to Eleanora, but she couldn’t go against Birkyne’s orders even if that was true, so she drove it out of her mind.

「I see… Well then, I wonder if you know about the【Sword King】Borkus? Can you tell me where he is* right now?」(Eleanora)

「Borkus should be* in the audience chamber.」(Vandalieu)

「Should be…?* Has he turned into an Undead?」(Eleanora)

「Yes.」(Vandalieu)

TLN*: In Japanese, ある/aru is used for inanimate objects while 居る/iru is used for people when saying something/someone is/be somewhere etc. Eleanora uses the former when asking the question, referring to Borkus’s remains as an inanimate object, but is surprised when Vandalieu replies with the latter, implying that Borkus is a person.

As expected, it seems that the【Sword King】Borkus has turned into an Undead. But judging from the fact that he’s still in the audience chamber where his body should have been, it’s likely that this Dhampir hasn’t managed to tame him. I suppose an Undead hero is beyond even this Dhampir’s abilities to tame after all.

It would be best on giving up on retrieving his remains. If Sercrent wants to attempt it, I’ll just have to let him do what he wants on his own.

「Also… How did you repair the castle and the city? It should have been considerably damaged; did you make the Undead repair them?」(Eleanora)

「No, I made Golems to repair them.」(Vandalieu)

Golems? Is he saying that possesses not only the Spiritualist Job, but the Alchemist Job as well?

It would be best to question him in more detail –

「Oi, how much longer are you planning to take?」(Sercrent)

Sercrent had entered the room without Eleanora noticing. The Subordinate Vampires were behind him.

「You have asked him everything that needs to be asked; there is no more use for him.」(Sercrent)

「… I believe we decided that I would lead him to you.」(Eleanora)

「Silence. We came because you wouldn’t come no matter how long we waited.」(Sercrent)

「How impatient of you.」(Eleanora)

In the corner of her vision, Eleanora could see Sercrent grinding his fangs without even trying to conceal his irritation. Is he trying to threaten me?

I would appreciate it if you don’t do such unpleasant things, considering that I have to maintain eye contact with the Dhampir so that he stays under the effect of my Charming Demon Eyes.

「This child might be beneficial to us. It would be useful to ask him how he tamed the Undead and how he used Golems to repaired the ruins.」(Eleanora)

If this Dhampir is indeed using the goddess’s divine protection to tame the Undead, killing him could incur the goddess’s wrath and cause movements from the Pure-breed Vampires who worship Vida hiding in the far depths of distant Devil’s Nests.

And if I can find out how he used Golems to repair the ruins and this method could be applied elsewhere, it would definitely be useful. Not even one year has passed since this Dhampir came to Talosheim. If this method could repair an entire fortress city in that short period of time, it might be possible to build small towers and castles in the space of a single month.

The strategic value of such a method is immeasurable. Surely even this man would understand that.

「… Eleanora, have you gone insane? The mission we received was to kill that Dhampir. That takes priority, and everything else can come after we have accomplished that. Any secret knowledge or rare skills he might have are irrelevant.」(Sercrent)

However, what Sercrent was advocating was that they uphold the rule of their society, the rule that the commands of the Pure-breeds must be obeyed without question.

And that was also correct. As Sercrent said, what both Birkyne and Gubamon emphasized above all else was that their orders should be carried out. Anything other than that was unnecessary; praise would not be given if their orders were not carried out.

「I wonder what you mean when you ask whether I’ve gone insane?」(Eleanora)

「Those words mean exactly as they sound. Could it be that you have developed some affection for him? To me, it looks like you are hesitating to kill him and repeating your questions in order to delay the inevitable.」(Sercrent)

「There is… no way that is true. You dare ridicule me?!」(Eleanora)

She raised her voice unintentionally, but that was not because of anger but because she was trembling. And as Sercrent made this accusation that was supposed to be completely off the mark, she was surprised by her own trembling.

Impossible; are you saying that I’m feeling guilty only now, after all this time? I was supposed to have discarded these emotions when I swore loyalty to Birkyne-sama!

She had been abandoned by her family, captured by the lower members of Birkyne’s society and raised by them. She had received training while witnessing those with poor results being drained of their blood, many of them being her friends.

She had endured being forced to kill her comrades who were raised together in the same environment, being encouraged to betray them and repeated torture conducted for absurd reasons in order to finally become a Vampire.

『Listen, Eleanora. There are only two kinds of people in this world, the rulers who stand at the top and the weak who are trampled underfoot. If you want to become a ruler, you have to trample someone beneath your feet. After all, a ruler only becomes a ruler when there is someone beneath them. There is no such thing as a king who doesn’t even rule a single commoner, is there? So if you don’t want to be oppressed and exploited, you have to oppress and exploit someone else.』(Birkyne)

Those words that Birkyne had spoken remained in her ears. Steal if you don’t want to be stolen from, persecute others if you don’t want to be persecuted, kill if you don’t want to be killed. This was the only way that Eleanora had been able to protect herself; this was supposed to be an absolute truth.

So there’s no way that I can hesitate to kill the Dhampir before my eyes. I’ve killed countless people up until now. I’ve been betrayed by friends and comrades, almost killed by them and then I killed them in return. Considering that, why would I hesitate now of all times?

「If you’re willing to say that much, then you and your subordinates can just do it, can’t you? Are you just going to stand there like scarecrows while making me do all the work on my own?」(Eleanora)

As Eleanora provoked them, the Subordinates began to tremble, looked at each other and then took a step. A step backwards.

Nobody tried to approach the Dhampir. It was as if they were being overpowered by something.

「Eleanora, you do it. If you don’t, I will report to Birkyne-sama that you refused to kill the Dhampir.」(Sercrent)

「! You bastard…」(Eleanora)

It was only through great strength of will that Eleanora resisted looking at Sercrent. What was he playing at, trying to brush aside his numerous failures in the past? She felt an urge to tear his throat out with her claws.

But it’s just a matter of killing the Dhampir. That’s all I need to do.

「Can you come here?」(Eleanora)

She called out to the Dhampir who had been staring at her the whole time. His eyes were endlessly empty.

She would kill this child. It was simple. Once he came closer, she simply needed to stab him with a sword or swing her claws at him; it wouldn’t even matter if she kicked and tore through his soft belly with the claws of her toes. Eleanora was strong enough to kill even a heavily armored knight with brute strength alone.

Killing this child is like crushing an insect.

The Dhampir approached her at a brisk, casual pace. Eleanora couldn’t stop her heart from throbbing violently, and her breathing was becoming irregular.

He was within range for her to kick him. She felt a painful sensation in her chest. That’s right, I won’t finish him with a kick. My claws, I’ll dispose of him with my claws.

He was within range of her claws. My hands are trembling; he needs to be a little closer. But if he walks any closer, we’ll break eye contact. Sercrent and the others are in the way behind me, so I can’t step back.

Eleanora decided that there was no other choice but to lift the Dhampir up. She would simply need to grab hold of his head, thrust her fangs into his neck and drain his blood until he died.

And then Eleanora was staring into Vandalieu’s eyes at point-blank range.

There had been no change; there was still no light in these eyes. They were empty, devoid of anything.

But she sensed something that existed inside that emptiness.

Something that Eleanora couldn’t run from no matter how much she tried, something she couldn’t disobey no matter what she did, something that didn’t exist.

No! I must not disobey this person!

Instinctively, Eleanora became unable to move. She stood completely still, still breathing heavily, unable to pierce the Dhampir with her fangs.

At this moment, Sercrent shouted.

「Do it, you bastards! Dispose of the Dhampir and Eleanora as well! Just like we did to that piece of trash, Valen!」(Sercrent)

「Wha –?!」(Eleanora)

Swords were pointed at Eleanora and the Dhampir. Before they could pierce her back, she flew as if pulled forward by something.

She dived onto the bed that the Dhampir had been sleeping on and rolled forward.

「Tch, she avoided it instinctively. As to be expected of one of Birkyne’s bodyguards, even if she is rotten. But with that wound, it’s now impossible for her to defeat us.」(Sercrent)

There was a wound in Eleanora’s back so deep that it might have grazed her heart. Even though she was a Noble-born Vampire who wouldn’t die so easily unless her heart was completely destroyed or her head was cut off, her movements would be slowed from taking damage.

「If I kill you along with the Dhampir and seal your mouth, Birkyne and Gubamon will never know about my failures! Die!」(Sercrent)

Sercrent could feel that the Dhampir was emitting an unusual presence. Though it wasn’t as powerful as his or Eleanora’s, the reason he had been talking so much might have been to shake himself and his followers free of that presence.

However, those words would lead to Sercrent meeting the most terrible of fates.

「What did you say just now?」(Vandalieu)

Ah, the Demon Eyes weren’t having any effect after all.

Even as she stared at the Dhampir, petrified with fear, Eleanora forgot the pain of her wound and felt a strange sense of relief.